Last night's dinner

On Wed, 26 Apr 2006 09:55:37 -0700, Serene <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Eggplant, breaded and fried, topped with slices of fresh mozzarella
and a simple tomato sauce. SO good. The pics aren't great, but
they're at http://pics.livejournal.com/serenejournal/gallery/00010yd5

Tonight, we're eating the rest as a casserole. Y'all are invited.

serene

Oh now you tell me..now that I am about 1500 or more miles away.. 😉

Christine

Christine Dabney said:

On Wed, 26 Apr 2006 09:55:37 -0700, Serene <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Eggplant, breaded and fried, topped with slices of fresh mozzarella
and a simple tomato sauce. SO good. The pics aren't great, but
they're at http://pics.livejournal.com/serenejournal/gallery/00010yd5

Tonight, we're eating the rest as a casserole. Y'all are invited.

serene

Oh now you tell me..now that I am about 1500 or more miles away.. 😉

*dramatic sigh*

serene

Serene said:

Eggplant, breaded and fried, topped with slices of fresh mozzarella
and a simple tomato sauce. SO good. The pics aren't great, but
they're at http://pics.livejournal.com/serenejournal/gallery/00010yd5

Tonight, we're eating the rest as a casserole. Y'all are invited.

serene

You better watch out. We're gonna be in california over the 4th of
July. You just might find me on your doorstep come dinnertime!!!

Jude said:

Serene said:

Eggplant, breaded and fried, topped with slices of fresh mozzarella
and a simple tomato sauce. SO good. The pics aren't great, but
they're at http://pics.livejournal.com/serenejournal/gallery/00010yd5

Tonight, we're eating the rest as a casserole. Y'all are invited.

serene

You better watch out. We're gonna be in california over the 4th of
July. You just might find me on your doorstep come dinnertime!!!

You're more than welcome. We have family spending the night on the
2nd, but other than that, we're free that week. :-)

Serene

Serene said:

Jude said:

Serene said:

Eggplant, breaded and fried, topped with slices of fresh mozzarella
and a simple tomato sauce. SO good. The pics aren't great, but
they're at http://pics.livejournal.com/serenejournal/gallery/00010yd5

Tonight, we're eating the rest as a casserole. Y'all are invited.

serene

You better watch out. We're gonna be in california over the 4th of
July. You just might find me on your doorstep come dinnertime!!!

You're more than welcome. We have family spending the night on the
2nd, but other than that, we're free that week. :-)

Serene

I'll e-mail you before my trip. We're ging to rent an RV and head down
to San Diego / Tijiuana for a couple days, then head up the PCH to the
Bay Area around the 5 or 6th. I love San Fran and berkeley (good music
at the greek theatre on july 8 &9, part of our plan) and I know it
would be fun to meet you. Especially cuz you're veg-friendly =)

I LOVE cali, and my east-coast BF has never been west of the
Mississippi. It's going to be a lot of fun to travel wherever we want
(if we can afford the gas...sigh) and show him all my favorite places.

So far: ocean beach and TJ down south, santa cruz, greyhound rock, san
fran, the haight, fisherman's wharf, and berkeley up north are on my
agenda. I used to travel to Ca every summer when I lived in NM, but
from VA it's a massive trip. Last time I went to Ca must have been New
Years of 2001.

I can't wait for summer! Woohoo! (I come alive this time of year.
Hibernation is over!)

Jude said:

I'll e-mail you before my trip. We're ging to rent an RV and head down
to San Diego / Tijiuana for a couple days, then head up the PCH to the
Bay Area around the 5 or 6th. I love San Fran and berkeley (good music
at the greek theatre on july 8 &9, part of our plan) and I know it
would be fun to meet you. Especially cuz you're veg-friendly =)

Cool. :-) My partner and I love having company, so we've opened up
dinnertime for all of our friends to drop by if they want. So far, we
get an average of one drop-in dinner guest a week, and it's really
working for me: I get social time without having to leave my house or
attend a party full of strangers, and I'm motivated to keep my house
clean. ;-)

Quoted message said:

So far: ocean beach and TJ down south

I'm from San Diego, so if you need any tips, let me know. It may seem
silly to suggest this since you're going to Tijuana, but there's a
wonderful Mexican dive in downtown San Diego (Pokez, pronounced
Pokey's, on 10th & E) that has TONS of vegan options, and the food is
good and dirt-cheap.

serene

Serene said:

Quoted message said:

So far: ocean beach and TJ down south

I'm from San Diego, so if you need any tips, let me know. It may seem
silly to suggest this since you're going to Tijuana, but there's a
wonderful Mexican dive in downtown San Diego (Pokez, pronounced
Pokey's, on 10th & E) that has TONS of vegan options, and the food is
good and dirt-cheap.

I'd love advice, not just on food.....I haven't been to san diego in
probably 8 or 9 years. I remember Ocean beacn and a tiny fish-taco
stand aceross the street from it, and I remember sea world, and walking
around my friend's nighborhood. That's abuot it. So we're open to any
fun ideas!

never been to TJ, only to Juarez when I lived in NM, but the BF has
never ben to Mexico at all, so it will be a fun excursion for him.

In Juarez, it's easy to park on the US side and walk across the bridge
to Mexico. Is TJ the same? We don't want to drive the rented RV over
the border.

Jude said:

Serene said:

Quoted message said:

So far: ocean beach and TJ down south

I'm from San Diego, so if you need any tips, let me know. It may seem
silly to suggest this since you're going to Tijuana, but there's a
wonderful Mexican dive in downtown San Diego (Pokez, pronounced
Pokey's, on 10th & E) that has TONS of vegan options, and the food is
good and dirt-cheap.

I'd love advice, not just on food.....I haven't been to san diego in
probably 8 or 9 years. I remember Ocean beacn and a tiny fish-taco
stand aceross the street from it, and I remember sea world, and walking
around my friend's nighborhood. That's abuot it. So we're open to any
fun ideas!

OB is more developed now than it was. Where there used to be just the
Plunge (public pool) and the roller-coaster, it's now a miniature
amusement park.

One fun excursion I always used to do with out-of-town guests was
this:

Drive across the Coronado bridge (beautiful in itself); go to the
Coronado Ferry Landing Marketplace:
http://gothere.com/coronado/FerryLanding.htm . Take the ferry to San
Diego and walk around Seaport Village (excellent Greek place there is
always our choice for lunch), then ferry back. Bring a jacket, and $2
one-way per person. Another great thing to do in Coronado is to head
to the Hotel Del just before sunset, order an $8 cocktail (I know, I
know, but it makes me feel like a movie star) and watch the sun set
over the Pacific. Lovely!

Quoted message said:

never been to TJ, only to Juarez when I lived in NM, but the BF has
never ben to Mexico at all, so it will be a fun excursion for him.

It may be fun, but it will also be sad, and you should probably
prepare him for that. The area just south of the border is poor in
the extreme, and there is a lot that will rip your heart out.

Quoted message said:

In Juarez, it's easy to park on the US side and walk across the bridge
to Mexico. Is TJ the same? We don't want to drive the rented RV over
the border.

Yep, it's easy. Park at the lot next to the McDonald's and walk across
with all the other folk. Ask someone to point you toward Revolucion
if you're going shopping, or take a taxi for a couple of bucks, if you
speak enough Spanish to make sure you know how much it will be before
you get in.

serene

Jude said:

I'd love advice, not just on food.....I haven't been to san diego in
probably 8 or 9 years. I remember Ocean beacn and a tiny fish-taco
stand aceross the street from it, and I remember sea world, and walking
around my friend's nighborhood. That's abuot it. So we're open to any
fun ideas!

never been to TJ, only to Juarez when I lived in NM, but the BF has
never ben to Mexico at all, so it will be a fun excursion for him.

In Juarez, it's easy to park on the US side and walk across the bridge
to Mexico. Is TJ the same? We don't want to drive the rented RV over
the border.

Yes. Walk across the border and take a cab to "el centro." Should
cost about $6. Here's a link to a brief but well-informed overview of
what's available in Tijuana.

http://travel2.nytimes.com/fodors/top/features/travel/destinations/unitedstates/
california/sandiego/fdrs_feat_136_7.html?n=Top%2FFeatures%2FTravel%2F
Destinations%2FUnited+States%2FCalifornia%2FSan+Diego

This url is so long I had to break it up into three lines. You'll have
to rejoin the pieces to plug it in your browser. Others know how to
create the tiny url's, but I don't.

At any rate, I second the article's recommendation for Café La
Especial, especially for lunch. I was taken there for the first time
in 1957 (won't say how old I was then) and have taken many, many
tourists there since. Traditional family food, not fancy, inexpensive,
good quality. For a much more interesting menu for dinner, we like
Cien Años. -aem

"aem" <[email hidden]> wrote

This url is so long I had to break it up into three lines. You'll have
to rejoin the pieces to plug it in your browser. Others know how to
create the tiny url's, but I don't.

It's so handy ... go to tinyurl.com, cut and paste the long
name in the place indicated, it whatever the button says, and
presto chango, a tinyurl name.

nancy

Nancy Young said:

"aem" <[email hidden]> wrote

This url is so long I had to break it up into three lines. You'll have
to rejoin the pieces to plug it in your browser. Others know how to
create the tiny url's, but I don't.

It's so handy ... go to tinyurl.com, cut and paste the long
name in the place indicated, it whatever the button says, and
presto chango, a tinyurl name.

nancy

Okay, here's a try at it. If it works, it's a brief but accurate
article about what there is to do and see in Tijuana, thanks to Nancy.
-aem

http://tinyurl.com/lywl7

"aem" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Nancy Young said:

"aem" <[email hidden]> wrote

This url is so long I had to break it up into three lines. You'll have
to rejoin the pieces to plug it in your browser. Others know how to
create the tiny url's, but I don't.

It's so handy ... go to tinyurl.com, cut and paste the long
name in the place indicated, it whatever the button says, and
presto chango, a tinyurl name.

Quoted message said:

Okay, here's a try at it. If it works, it's a brief but accurate
article about what there is to do and see in Tijuana, thanks to Nancy.
-aem

http://tinyurl.com/lywl7

(smile) Well done.

nancy

aem said:

Nancy Young said:

"aem" <[email hidden]> wrote

This url is so long I had to break it up into three lines. You'll have
to rejoin the pieces to plug it in your browser. Others know how to
create the tiny url's, but I don't.

It's so handy ... go to tinyurl.com, cut and paste the long
name in the place indicated, it whatever the button says, and
presto chango, a tinyurl name.

nancy

Okay, here's a try at it. If it works, it's a brief but accurate
article about what there is to do and see in Tijuana, thanks to Nancy.
-aem

http://tinyurl.com/lywl7

Another source you may want to try is www.makeashorterlink.com - it
tells you where you are being re-directed. With tinyurl, you have to
trust the source.

jim

You guys rock....thanks for the info!

Now, any ideas for san diego? =)

Jude said:

You guys rock....thanks for the info!

Now, any ideas for san diego? =)

Here's what I wrote recently for a friend who was taking a trip down
there, on very little money. I'll think of more later:

Notes on beaches:

The prettiest one is Coronado, and cocktails at the Hotel Del Coronado
at sunset is cheap entertainment, even at $8 apiece. The drawbacks of
Coronado: it's in the flight path, so it's noisy from time to time,
and there are LOTS of stingrays, so it's not a good place to swim.

Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach are funky and fun, and next to each
other. Ocean Beach has the advantage of a little "Boardwalk" area
called Belmont Park, complete with one of the oldest wooden
rollercoasters in the world. Both have good, cheap eats.

There's a nude beach farther north, in Torrey Pines. I've been and
it's lovely. Write if you want more info.

One really fun thing to do if you like the water but don't plan on
swimming: Drive over the Coronado bridge, go to the Ferry Landing
Marketplace (address and directions at
http://www.gocitykids.com/browse/attraction.jsp?id=41035 ), then take
the ferry across to the "mainland", windowshop at Seaport Village,
then go back. It's about $2 each way per person. At Seaport Village,
you'll also find my favorite (cheap) Greek place. Oh, and take a
jacket. It's cold on the ferry.

Notes on lodging:

The hostel downtown is where we had a big party a couple of years
ago, and it's no-frills but CHEAP.
http://www.sandiegohostels.org/downtown.shtml

Notes on eating:

Best Mexican choice is Pokez, on 10th & E downtown. Cheap, run by
anarcho-communists or something. ;-) I mean *really* cheap -- you can
get dinner for two for under $10, including tip. Service is slow but
friendly, and it's great people-watching.

Tell me what other kinds of food you like, or where you're planning on
being, and I'll hook you up. Also, if you want to hang out in
Hillcrest with the queers, let me know and I'll point you to the good
shops/cafes/gaybars.

This is what my midnight brain came up with. Feel free to write back
with more details of where you're planning on being, and I can help
more.

Serene

On Thu, 27 Apr 2006 07:40:30 -0700, Serene <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Jude said:

You guys rock....thanks for the info!

Now, any ideas for san diego? =)

Here's what I wrote recently for a friend who was taking a trip down
there, on very little money. I'll think of more later:

So what kinds of things do you like doing on vacation? I lived in San
Diego for 25 years, so I can go in several possible directions:
Touristy? Shoppy? Low-key native? The last person I guided around San
Diego was dying to go to the year-round Christmas store, and that was
a fun-and-surreal experience. :-)

serene

Serene said:

On Thu, 27 Apr 2006 07:40:30 -0700, Serene <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Jude said:

You guys rock....thanks for the info!

Now, any ideas for san diego? =)

Here's what I wrote recently for a friend who was taking a trip down
there, on very little money. I'll think of more later:

So what kinds of things do you like doing on vacation? I lived in San
Diego for 25 years, so I can go in several possible directions:
Touristy? Shoppy? Low-key native? The last person I guided around San
Diego was dying to go to the year-round Christmas store, and that was
a fun-and-surreal experience. :-)

Definiely not touristy, except unless there's a super-cool thing to
see....like in SF, I have to take my BF to Alcatraz, Golden Gate Park,
and the Haight. Not big into shopping but it's fun to wander cool
eclectic areas. Love the outdoors - beaches, forests, water, etc. BF is
a scuba diver; do you now of any places he can get a day tip on a dive
boat? Interested in the low-key native stuff, the cool things that make
SD differnt from every other town in CA. (PS, I'm trying to sell him on
an eventual move to either SD or Bay Area a few years down the line.
Anything that would help him fall in love with the city would be nice.)

We're music and live-music-in-the-bars people, so if you know any good
places for live music (not clubby, not DJs, not disco, not nightclubs,
but just good rocky bands and decent drinks) we'd like that.

One of my favorite things about OB was just hanging out on the grass,
checking out people who were playing guitar or joining into a drum
circle. Low key, mellow people, low budget as well =)

Jude said:

Serene said:

On Thu, 27 Apr 2006 07:40:30 -0700, Serene <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

On 27 Apr 2006 04:57:32 -0700, "Jude" <[email hidden]> wrote:

>You guys rock....thanks for the info!
>
>Now, any ideas for san diego? =)

Here's what I wrote recently for a friend who was taking a trip down
there, on very little money. I'll think of more later:

So what kinds of things do you like doing on vacation? I lived in San
Diego for 25 years, so I can go in several possible directions:
Touristy? Shoppy? Low-key native? The last person I guided around San
Diego was dying to go to the year-round Christmas store, and that was
a fun-and-surreal experience. :-)

Definiely not touristy, except unless there's a super-cool thing to
see....like in SF, I have to take my BF to Alcatraz, Golden Gate Park,
and the Haight.

Yeah. I would wander Balboa Park if I were you, or walk La Jolla
shores and check out all the seals.

Quoted message said:

Not big into shopping but it's fun to wander cool
eclectic areas. Love the outdoors - beaches, forests, water, etc. BF is
a scuba diver; do you now of any places he can get a day tip on a dive
boat?

I've heard good things about Scuba San Diego, but I'm not a diver, so
I can't say for sure: http://www.scubasandiego.com/

Quoted message said:

Interested in the low-key native stuff, the cool things that make
SD differnt from every other town in CA. (PS, I'm trying to sell him on
an eventual move to either SD or Bay Area a few years down the line.
Anything that would help him fall in love with the city would be nice.)

We're music and live-music-in-the-bars people, so if you know any good
places for live music (not clubby, not DJs, not disco, not nightclubs,
but just good rocky bands and decent drinks) we'd like that.

We're more live-music-in-the-coffeeshops people:

http://www.clairedelune.com
http://cityguide.aol.com/sandiego/entertainment/venue.adp?sbid=100506411

Quoted message said:

One of my favorite things about OB was just hanging out on the grass,
checking out people who were playing guitar or joining into a drum
circle. Low key, mellow people, low budget as well =)

Yep. Great people-watching in Hillcrest, too. It's the gay center of
town, and my favorite place to just hang out. Cute-poet-chick (my
ex-wife) and I could spend a good evening just walking down Fifth,
checking out all the shops, buying books at Bluestocking, eating at
City Deli, and then dancing at the Brass Rail.

http://www.gothere.com/sandiego/Hillcrest/index.htm

serene